Fly Dubai and Dubai Terminal Personal Experience

Fare

I took FlyDubai about 4 times and have a few positive and negative comments,

Firstly the best part of flydubai is the fare, Fly Dubai has one of the best fares and is a low cost airline, but the most amazing thing about flydubai is that its fare doesn’t increase as seats get booked like other low cost airlines who’s fares sky-rocket, even though they are low-cost airlines. Two times I booked flydubai less than 24 hours before departure, and still got is at the best price. Much lower than all other premium and low-cost airlines. While the fares are relatively less 99% flydubai flights don’t provide free baggage.

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Baggage

The baggage is chargeable and you get about 20 kg for 50 UAE dinar, While booking my flight once when flying from Riyadh, I booked using Make my trip android app using my mobile, and it didn’t show me any option to select/purchase baggage. This caused huge inconvenience to me, which is worth reading and needs attention of FLY Dubai officials also. About 12 hours before my flight as I had completed almost all my packing, it struck me, how much checking luggage I am allowed, As I checked online I remembered all other times I was given an option to purchase baggage which was missed this time. I read online how to purchase additional luggage since my check-in baggage was already 16 kg, I had 3 options, to purchase additional luggage online, I tried that but it didn’t allow me, telling I have booked tickets from agents and can’t avail online option, Oh, shocked. I saw the other option of making payment at FlyDubai office, which was not possible since it was late night and there is no flydubai office in Riyadh. Third option was to purchase additional luggage using FlyDubai call center. As I called them up, and informed I needed to purchase additional luggage he told me to use online option, which I informed was not working. I was informed if I had a credit card, I will be able to do the purchasing, which I luckily had, Now comes the most irritating and horrible part. The customer agent added a bill of 50 UAE dinar to my ticket and tried to make payment, which failed, I provided with second credit card which again failed. Then the agent gave me the shock of my life. He informed that if I don’t make payment in next 30 minutes my whole flight ticket will be cancelled since, now the system is showing that this booking has payment due, and there is less than 24 hours for flight to depart. I immediately gave him Saudi issues Master Credit card, expecting the since my credit cards were from India, they were getting rejected, but unexpectedly this Saudi card also got rejected, and the agent started scaring my that if I don’t arrange payment in next 16 minutes my whole booking will be cancelled. I was even more shocked as I was in Saudi on Business visa for giving training and my visa would expire even if I delay by one day. I requested him to cancel the luggage request which he first told was not possible, but later informed can be done by higher level management, told me to call and check after 5 minutes if my booking stands good. In the mean time at 1 am in the early morning I received one more credit card details from my friend. I called up FLYDubai and this time a different call agent informed my that my booking is fine and the additional luggage bill have been cancelled. Anyways I again tried to make the payment using 4th credit card issued again from KSA but still the transaction failed, and then the agent this time was good enough to agree that actually the fault is in their system, and addition of luggage for flights booked from makemytrip etc is not possible once of booking has been done, it has to be done at the time of booking the flight itself. When I asked what was the next option he informed me to pay at airport, and that charge will be in KG, (35 AED/Kg), As I did my calculation my weight cost exceeded my ticket cost, and I decided that I will drop my luggage, and just traveled with my Handbag and my laptop bag. Lucky laptop bag is not considered as a handbag.

FlyDubai Flights

Seating

FlyDubai flights are extremely small size aero planes, 3 +3 in a row and about 30 rows. The toilets are extremely small, and entrance if from the front side usually and you can see the cockpit and even view the pilots, I was on Saudi Girl going inside the cockpit and taking photos of crew with permission.

The best seating in Flydubai in economy class are the ones at the emergency exit then comes once immediately after the end of business class, Yes there is business class is FLY Dubai, and they have 2+2 seats in a row and about 4 rows

The emergency exit seats in all the 4 flights I took till now were 15(A to F) and 16(A to F). (Total 12 seats)

You can select these seats at time of booking for about 100 AED, but what I would recommend is not to purchase the seating, but request at the time of check-in to customer agent to give you the emergency exit seat, be sure you arrive a little early to get this seat and hopefully it’s not pre booked by someone else.

Seating arrangement

Seating arrangement

Food and Snacks

Everything is paid in now cost airlines, even bottled water, though they provide free water in open glass if you ask. The cost of food on flight is as per airline standards. They usually come 2 times with the paid food tally and you can order anything.

Food and Snacks

Cabin Crew

Cabin crew is very friendly and are usually very happy, seems like the effect of not having serve less passengers and less load on flight.

Entertainment and TV show

Each seat has its own TV/LCD touch screen, but its all paid in economy class, You have to even purchase a headphone and purchase individual shows etc.

Dubai Terminal 2 – Major Disappointment – Exclusive for FlyDubai

All Flydubai flights go to and from Dubai, their transit is Dubai, but don’t be over joyed as FLY DUBAI has its own terminal, DUBAI Terminal 2, and this is a very old terminal with very limited space, activities and shopping area. If you are there for more than 12 hours transit you will for surely get bored. If you have been to terminal 3 (Emirates terminal) you will feel the difference. Terminal 2 has only 12 gates while Terminal 3 has more than 250 gates!

Plane to Airport – Bus

Flights land quite far from Terminal2 and you can’t just walk from your flight to the airport using the Walkway, Bus facility is there to take you to the plane and this can be a pain for old people, kids and everyone.

Seating

The seating or waiting area is very poorly maintained and there is no option for sleeper seats or semi-sleeper seating like terminal 3. If you want to sleep, you must do so while sitting, of go to Gate 1 and search for a corner to lie down, I took rest in mosque, and it was quite relaxing.

Mosque

The Mosque is very small and smelly, stinking from socks. I am amazed both the Dubai airport terminals T2 and T3 have very poorly and super small mosque areas.

Mosque

Shopping

For main place to shop is Dubai Duty free shops, and it contains a variety of items, you can get huge variety for chocolates, wines, and gift items. All were quite expensive and I just purchased 1 AED water bottle and 1 AED milk pack. There were some good toy items for gifting, I loved the Parrot Drones. If you are purchasing anything you need to show your boarding pass, and the billing is linked to it. Without scanning your boarding pass you can’t purchase anything.

Currency Exchange

There were 2 different currency exchange counters if you need. Though most of the shops at the airport accept almost all currencies.

Currency Exchange

Internet

Internet if free for first 60 minutes, but u can just use a simple trick to use it for unlimited time. Just click the back button after you click GET ONLINE NOW (for 60 minutes) and then click the button again, you can do this unlimited times.

Also alternate way to get free internet is to go to Costa coffee purchase the cheapest item and request them for free internet token.

Internet

Toilets

Toilets at the airport are well maintained and available in Western and Indian Style(The squat type) It’s the last room in the row. All toilets have water as well as tissues for all types of users and automated flushing system.

They have hand baggage measuring machines again at boarding gates and they will measure the handbag. The total hand carry including handbag and duty-free shopping should not exceed 10 kg as per their instructions, but they rarely seem to take any action.